Blue Jays Minor Leaguer Mistakenly Had Funniest Quip After Striking Out Joey Votto

He was close, but not quite.

Longtime Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto took his first batting practice with the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday, but the 40-year-old former NL MVP was mistaken for another MLB star by a much younger teammate. 

A 23-year-old minor leaguer, Eric Pardinho, struck out Votto, and the Brazilian pitcher excitedly mentioned a totally different player.

“I just struck out Joey Gallo!” Pardinho said, per Jayson Stark of The Athletic.

Close, but not quite.

Six-time All-Star Joey Votto is a spring training non-roster invitee of the Toronto Blue Jays :: Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer/USA TODAY NETWORK

Gallo, the former Texas Rangers standout who subsequently flopped with the New York Yankees, is now a member of the Washington Nationals. He’s also 10 years younger than Votto.

Votto, one of the greatest Canadian players in MLB history, signed with the Blue Jays on Friday as a non-roster invitee as he tries to make the team’s roster for his 18th big league season. The six-time All-Star repeatedly stated this offseason that he’s not ready to retire, and now the Toronto-born standout gets an opportunity with his hometown team.